Coheed & Cambria

It's true that Coheed & Cambria have toured with groups like Slipknot and Linkin Park, but don't hold that against them. While they often get lumped in with more popular acts on the darker end of the mall-rock spectrum, their big riffs are balanced with aspirations that are loftier than those of their peers. The members of C&C obviously worship at the altar of Rush, animating their songs with knotty progressive touches and an overarching narrative that ties all of their albums together. But all of the technical knowhow and conceptual daring wouldn't mean a thing if the band was boring to watch, and luckily, that's not the case. Leader Claudio Sanchez is a powerhouse, pulling off vocal theatrics and guitar heroism through a mass of sight-obscuring hair, while drummer Chris Pennie manages the band's tricky time changes after earning his stripes as a founder of Dillinger Escape Plan. Blending imagination, talent, and sonic brawn, C&C are worth a closer look. With Circa Survive and Torche. All ages.
Thu., May 13, 5 p.m., 2010